Well, it's time to roll up the sleeves, scout out the few places I've identified I would live and go look for a job (since I finished this night time degree just before the summer). Monday, I leave for Atlanta and Florida via plane. If I get the vibe and it's a go, I was thinking of taking my car down first (since that's the diciest) and then move myself down and job hunt (can't do that from Portland).
Ok, so, what about the car...my Regal 3800 coupe some of you like to rag on? At 238,000 miles, I'm thinking of bringing her, or actually, having her cart my ass down to Atlanta. New stuff (within the last year to 6 months): all brakes, all tires, all struts, spark plug wires.
Tonight, for the hell of it, I checked the mpg to tell me how "tight" the engine is. I gassed up in Eugene OR (don't get me started), had him round up to the nearest 25 cents. I did the same in Portland 97.7 miles later. This was the most unruffled trip: set cruise at 60 mph, that's 1700 rpm, no A/C and never stepped on the brake once, plus it's pancake flat on I-5 in that stretch. It took 2.67 gallons, as rounded up to the nearest 25 cents. That's 36 mpg. Can that be real? Unbelievable. Thus, I will NOT be doing the tune-up as I had planned.
So, would you do it with the car? Any advice or caveats? Help me out. What would concern you?
The proposed route:
1 - Portland to SLC
2 - SLC to Denver
3 - Denver to KC
4 - KC to Champaign, IL (to see my alma mater)
5 - Champaign, IL to Indianapolis
6 - Indianapolis to Atlanta